Tatsuya Kimura is starting to feel alone. With buddies Ippo Makunouchi and Mamoru Takamura having title belts in their respective weight divisions, Kimura's failure to become Japan's Junior Lightweight boxing champion gnaws at him. Kimura, who is scheduled to challenge current champion Ryo Mashiba, begins training with Ippo's adversary Ichirou Miyata, who earlier suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Mashiba's famous "Hitman" style of boxing. But Mashiba has his own reason for wanting to keep the belt, expecting to one day challenge for the World championship and provide financial security for his sister Kumi. Will Kimura's strong desire to prove his boxing prowess triumph against Mashiba's desperate need to create a better life for Kumi?